Launch

by Richard Perth

  David gently put his hand on her belly. “You have me and the baby, Cougar. That’s a start.”

  She put her hand on his. “You’re much more than a start, my darling Buni. You’re the love of my life.”

  David’s lingering kiss was full of promise and Claire responded in kind. “I think we should finish this conversation in bed,” he said softly.

  Chapter 41

  The Capitol was the largest building in Pendleton, and its auditorium for joint sessions of Congress seated more than 30,000 people. It was full when the Speaker of the House of Representatives stepped to the podium.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States.”

  Amira waited for the applause to abate. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

  “I’m especially glad to be here today. It has been my privilege and pleasure to know Cougar Flight for three months now. You’ve heard a lot about them, and they’ve received many accolades. But by the end of today, you’ll know, as I do, that their accolades have been inadequate.”

  Amira emphasized her next words with understatement. “Ladies and gentlemen, Doctor Claire Archer.”

  Claire gave Amira a warm smile and walked to the podium wearing a navy blue suit that hid her pregnancy.

  During the standing ovation, Claire smiled at Naomi and Mark next to Omar in the upper level and was reassured by Naomi’s return smile.

  “Thank you Madam President. You’re very kind. We have been delighted and honored to be in your company.”

  Claire and David had graduated from their English pronunciation course before they were scheduled to address Congress. Her modern English pronunciation had just a trace of a 21st-Century accent. Omar had told her it was charming, but then, so was Omar.

  “As a medical student in the twenty-first century, I had a very elderly patient who was a retired United States Senator. He told me that as a young man in the middle of the twentieth century, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Most of his basic training was at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. But he and other recruits were sent to what was then Camp Pendleton, where we are now, to learn to fire their rifles.

  “One of the first things the Marines did to new recruits was to put them in shapeless, grey, long-sleeve sweatshirts and cut all their hair off. The future Senator stood in line to get his hair cut and watched other recruits come out of the barber’s hut looking like skinny, plucked chickens.

  “In the fashion of the time, his hair was oiled and combed straight back and carefully styled, so the back of his hair resembled the back end of a duck.”

  The audience laughed.

  Claire nodded and continued with a grin. “That’s what he called it, too.”

  The audience laughed again.

  “A supervising drill instructor wearing a razor sharp uniform stood beside the line. He carried a highly-polished, bullet-tipped swagger stick in his left hand, leaving his right hand free to salute any officer who happened by.

  The Senator was not at all happy about losing his carefully styled hair and asked the drill instructor, ‘Corporal, why do we have to get our hair cut off?’

  “The drill instructor spun around to face him and smacked the free end of his swagger stick into his right hand with a sharp crack. ‘Yew say sir and stand at attention when yew talk to me recruit!’

  “The recruit snapped to attention and said, ‘Yes, sir!’

  “‘What was yore question, recruit?’

  “‘Sir, why do we have to get our hair cut off, sir?’

  “The drill instructor swung his swagger stick again and smacked his right hand behind his back as he stepped forward with a disgusted look on his face and leaned nose to nose with the future senator. ‘Because yore purty hair might fall down in front of yore purty face and keep yew from seein’ the target at Pendleton when yore larnin’ to shoot yore rifle!’”

  The audience laughed and applauded.

  Claire continued seriously. “No longer do young men and women get their hair cut off and learn to shoot a rifle in military service. No longer do they have to fight and die. No longer is war taught here at Pendleton or anywhere else on Earth.

  “My husband and I had hoped the world in the twenty-sixth century would be a better place to raise a family. But as children of the twenty-first century, it never occurred to us to dare hope for world peace.”

  The audience applauded enthusiastically.

  “David and I are absolutely in awe of human achievements in the last five centuries. We are in awe of you, the dedicated women and men who have accepted the formidable responsibility of ensuring that the world will remain peaceful and prosperous in the future.”

  After the applause, she continued. “One of the people who helped lay the foundation for today’s government was our friend, Michael Bedford. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 2082. Michael and Professor James Lee of Harvard University sponsored the Bedford-Lee amendment to the Constitution of the United States.”

  There was more applause.

  “My husband and I hereby ask the government of the United States to help us honor Michael Bedford and Professor Lee for their achievements. We ask that the planet Minor-four-b be named Bedford and Minor-four-a be named Lee.”

  Claire’s request was greeted with enthusiastic applause. David came to stand beside Claire and put his arm around her. She smiled at the audience, and said, “My husband, David Archer.”

  The audience came to its feet in another standing ovation.

  When the audience was seated again, David said, “Now you have some idea why I consider myself one of the luckiest men alive. And I want to take this opportunity to announce we’re expecting our first child in March.”

  Claire smiled and waved to acknowledge the applause that followed David’s announcement, and went to her seat.

  David continued. “As someone who has seen the horror of war, I share Claire’s joy that war is no more. And for the record, I wholeheartedly support the request my wife made to rename the two planets.”

  After the applause, David said, “In the last 500 years, the world has come out of the darkness of war and overpopulation and environmental destruction into the sunshine of peace, prosperity, and justice. But we are still facing doom. This time, sunshine is the threat.”

  David paused for effect, and silence in the audience was absolute.

  “All by itself, through natural processes and without human interference, the Sun is getting hotter. About a billion years from now, Earth’s atmosphere will be so warm that when water evaporates, the vapor will no longer become clouds. Instead, water vapor will continue to rise and escape into space. Rivers and lakes will vanish. Oceans will become deserts, and the plants that feed and support us will cease to exist.

  “A billion years sounds like a big number. But let’s talk about a bigger one: forty-three million, trillion . . . dollars. That’s the amount of money the United States promised to pay my wife and me for Elf Corporation.

  “It is essential for the government to pay its debts. The Constitution now requires that at least five percent of the original principal of all money borrowed by and for the United States shall be repaid every year with accrued interest. The Constitution also requires that such repayment shall be made without incurring additional debt.

  “The government must pay us, but it can’t pay. Now what?”

  David paused and regarded the shocked expressions on the faces of the politicians in the audience. They were well aware that they would never again hold any public office if Claire and David insisted on payment.

  Amira and Omar remained composed.

  David continued, “One honorable way to settle a debt is negotiation. The United States has offered us one billion dollars a year for life plus a one hundred billion-dollar fund. We hereby make a three part counter offer:

  “First, as has already been proposed, one billion dollars a year will be paid to us for life. We will also accept the one hundred billion-
dollar fund. Part of it will be used to sponsor a return to the planet Minor-four-b, or if you so allow, the planet Bedford, for settlement.”

  “Second, the balance of the debt owed to us will be transferred in trust to NASA.”

  David looked at Al Masters in the VIP section. He appeared to be stunned, and David allowed himself a small grin.

  “Third, the United States will unequivocally guarantee that when the end of the planet Earth comes, it won’t be the end of the human race. A minimum and I emphasize minimum, of one hundred billion dollars every year will be paid to NASA in perpetuity for interstellar exploration and settlement. Every year, one or more unmanned missions will be launched to explore planetary systems around stars with potentially long life spans. The United States will simultaneously support both exploration for new planets and settlement of habitable planets, including Bedford, as they are discovered. Certainly the millions of trillions of dollars in the trust should be more than enough to support all the exploration and settlement we can manage.

  “You may be asking yourself: if we have a billion years, why do we have to start now? The answer is that this will be a very long, slow process. Bedford is a relatively close planet, only two hundred and fifty light years away. Other star systems of interest are thousands and even millions of light years away. It will take at least two thousand years to find a habitable planet a thousand light years away and another thousand years to land the first settlers. It will take two million years to find one habitable planet a million light years away and another million years to land the first settlers. And so on. Many of the star systems we explore won’t have any habitable planets. But just one launch per year will allow us to explore one hundred stars in one hundred years, a thousand stars in a thousand years, and a million stars in a million years. Even if there’s only one habitable planet for each ten thousand stars visited, we’ll eventually find hundreds of planets where we can live.”

  David paused, regarded the audience, and continued earnestly. “Now is early. Now is the opportunity. Now is the time. If we start now, the human race will not perish with the planet Earth. If we start now, the genius, the love, and the spirit of our human species may last as long as there is a Universe.

  “It has been a great honor for Claire and me to be here. Thank you.”

  It was several seconds before the audience responded. Then they came to their feet in a standing ovation that grew in excitement.

  ▼

  Claire and David had dinner at the White House that night with Al, Omar, and Amira. She said, “Your speeches have excited imaginations around world, and Congress is moving fast. Congressman Joshua Biko from South Africa and Senator Sushelia Albuquerque have been assigned the task of preparing a bill to make your proposals a reality. I expect it to be on my desk in record time. I would like both of you to be present when I sign it.”

  Al said, “I’m afraid your vacation’s over David. We’ll give you an office in Pendleton, but you can work at home—or standing on your head. My staff and I will give you all the support we can.”

  David nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  Omar said, “We will have to shepherd necessary legislation through Congress and plan governments for the new settlements on other planets. I would like to help.”

  “Offer accepted,” Al said as he shook his head “This is amazing almost beyond belief. Usually we must fight congress for every dime, but thanks to just one speech from David, NASA’s financial problems have been solved in perpetuity.”

  ▼

  The next evening Claire and David stood in a reception line as they greeted the most famous and senior members of government and world society. Claire was gorgeous in a strapless evening gown: a combination of burgundy and maroon with teasing intermittent iridescence. Her only jewelry was a pair of earnings: NASA gold astronaut pins with diamond stars: they had been had been awarded to Claire and David by NASA while they were still in space.

  Senator Albuquerque, Congressman Biko, and their spouses were seated at the President’s table with Claire and David. They were discussing what the Senator called the Second Claire and David Archer Debt Resolution Act.

  David suggested, “What about a simpler name like the Archer Amendment.”

  Claire remembered when David had told her about the Archer amendment on the day they met. She laughed. David grinned at her and winked.

  Later, Claire and David danced for the first time since they had returned to Earth. He said, “Who would’ve thought we’d be dancing at a White House ball in our honor?”

  “Me,” she said. “I know the comedian I married.”

  Chapter 42

  The following Monday morning, David received a videophone conference call from Albert Masters and Jack Benton. David knew the outcome of the call would be critical: if Al opposed the new starship, it would never fly.

  Al said, “Good morning, David. Once again, I would like to thank you for solving NASA’s budget problems. Your speech was a masterstroke.

  “I’m wondering about the timetables you mentioned. You may remember that we planned to spend about 525 years in the exploration phase for Bedford and another 525 years in the preparation phase. The times mentioned in your speech seemed to cut the time to begin settlement in half.”

  David said, “I think we should enhance the search phase to include exploration and initial preparation of any potentially habitable planets. That would keep us from wasting time and resources on planets that appeared to be inhabitable initially but turned out to be unsatisfactory after further exploration. We can advance future settlements by thousands and even millions of years, and maybe even save lives when Earth is nearing the end of habitability.”

  Al and Jack looked at each other. Al said, “That makes a lot of sense. Planning will be more of a challenge, but we can deal with that a lot faster than we can fly to a star. We should stick to near stars first so we can get faster feedback and perfect our planning process.

  “Now what’s this about you sponsoring a return to Bedford?”

  “I’ve started the design and construction of a starship. It should be ready for testing in February. It will have housing and equipment and supplies for a dozen couples for two years with everything they need to become self-sufficient. Two dozen police robots will provide security and labor. The starship will be armed. After it drops off the settlers, it will take up a stationary orbit in space above the settlement for communications relay and security. I would like NASA to begin recruiting and training the first settlers for a possible March launch.”

  “Question, David,” Jack Benton said. “Didn’t you know you were supposed to slow below light speed before you landed on Earth?”

  Al laughed. “What about that, David? Weren’t you supposed to be on vacation?”

  “It’s what I wanted to do,” David said. “I’ve been thinking about space exploration since I was a teenager, since before Origin or Quad Fusion Thunder. It’s a part of me.”

  “Where do you suggest we go from here?” Al asked.

  “We need to fast-track launch of an in-depth exploration of Bedford and Lee to parallel settlement. We also need to fast-track design and preparation of everything settlers will need. And speaking of fast, we need to do research into faster-than-light physics: find out what happens to something that exceeds light speed and whether or not human beings can survive.”

  Al said, “What do you think Jack? Is there anything else you need to know?”

  “Yes. David, can you share your design plans with us for the starship you’re building?”

  “Sure,” David answered. “Make the plans available to NASA, Elf.”

  Elf said, “Yes, sir.”

  David said, “I need all the help I can get. For example: how do you design a diaper for cows and bulls for the weightless part of the flight?

  Al and Jack laughed. Jack said, “A lot of that has been studied already. You take calves with proven fertility and frozen semen rather than cows and bulls. Give them
low residue diets just before zero g.”

  “Great! As you can see, I do need help.”

  “Jack and his department can help,” Al said. “Maybe you can meet your March goal.”

  “I’m sure of it,” Jack said. “I’ve got people who’ve been dreaming of a challenge like this.”

  “Let’s do it,” Al said. “You and Jack work out how you want to coordinate the design work on the new starship and plans for the support you’ll need. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

  After Al and Jack said goodbye, David felt he had dodged a bullet.

  ▼

  Dr. Albert Masters told Jack, “That went well. We need to keep General Archer on board. As he has so ably demonstrated, his continued support is vital to the future of NASA.”

  Chapter 43

  The first available appointment with Lauren Dobson’s office was on the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Claire and David explained their case, and Khyla Sims, one of Ms. Dobson’s assistants, said, “I wish you had come to us earlier. We’re heavily booked, and we may not be able to take your case.”

  Claire was alarmed. “Isn’t there something that can be done? We’ll be happy to pay extra, whatever’s needed.”

  The attorney shook her head. “I’m sorry. Ms. Dobson’s a public attorney. We’re paid by a government fund and don’t accept fees.”

  David frowned. “Where does the government get the money to do that?”

  “If a public attorney wins a case,” Ms. Sims said, “the loser pays the U.S. Legal Fund for court costs, the public attorney’s fee, and the judgment. If a public attorney loses a case, the attorney is paid by the fund, which then charges the client based on their ability to pay. That way everybody has access to legal representation.